Garden and Clothes Fashion at Sissinghurst

Had a day off last week to visit the gardens of Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, with Lynn. The gardens were created by poet and writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold, a diplomat and author. When they moved in, the gardens and original castle were a complete ruin. They weren't professional gardeners but created gardens including the much copied white garden.

The weather had turned a bit cooler after the Easter heatwave and Storm Hannah was supposed to be arriving but it stayed dry. I wore my Boden ankle skimmer jeans, red t-shirt and statement necklace and red/pink sandals from Marks and Spencer (last season). The white boucle "lady" jacket is also last season's from River Island. My red bag from Dune finished off the look.

The sandals have the M&S Footglove foot bed, so they're quite comfortable for walking around.

We had a guided tour round the cottage where Harold did his writing, by the window, with this glorious view; and in the sitting room it was easy to imagine the couple smoking away, with their dogs in front of the fire.

We also climbed the last remaining tower, where Vita's library is housed. This is one of the views from the top.  The ringing of a bell up there made us jump out of our skins.

We had possibly missed the best of the spring white garden, although there were still a lot of white tulips and honesty, and yellow wallflowers. A good white garden has a lot of variation in the greenery and also a subtle touch of colour, otherwise it becomes dull.

Some of the other walled gardens had the most spectacular displays of colour and form.

 

Here's Lynn, who kindly took most of the pictures.

The gardens are worth seeing in all the seasons. Lynn lives nearby and has seen them in winter, with the frost.  We may go back in the late summer as I noticed they have a lot of hot coloured plants including crocosmia and kniphofia. I imagine mid summer is also wonderful with the many sweet peas scrambling up willow obelisks, and of course all the roses! 

One of the reasons the gardens work so well is that they combine Harold Nicolson's love of symmetry and form, and Vita's policy of cramming in as many plants as possible in airy combinations.

We adjourned to nearby Sissinghurst village for a spot of lunch. The Milk House was our choice and very nice it was too - we both had fish and chips followed by a rhubarb and ginger posset with candied macadamias and coconut cream.  It's a former 16th century hall house, with timber beams and a Tudor fireplace,

I'd love to create a white garden of my own, but it would mean removing 95% of my existing plants including three monster Clematis Montanas. To see my modest little garden, visit my other blog, here and here. 

I'm back on Wednesday with the #WowOnWednesday link up. Hope to see you then. Which are your favourite gardens that are open to the public?  Love to hear your recommendations.

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